The Four Coursemen, Athens, GA

How It Works: The six chefs, all best buddies, prepare five courses paired with wine (or craft beers) for 26 guests twice per month. Dinners are held inside a "shotgun-style" house. Think: Civil Warera Southern digs.

What's on the Menu: All ingredients are local and sustainable whenever possible, and meals are never repeated. Ever eaten whelk (a.k.a. sea snails)? Other recent dishes include an unusual chocolate torte with candied tomato peel.

How to Score a Seat: Sign up for the email list thefourcoursemen.com. But that still doesn't guarantee a seat: Reservations sell out in less than 10 seconds, so start training those fingertips and check their Facebook page for updates.